Lucy Raises Chickens
Previous episode: Lucy Gets Chummy with the Neighbors Next episode: Lucy Does the Tango http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/BabyChicks.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s29/ABMfisher/MotherHen.jpg Plot Ricky can't believe how expensive living in the country is. Lucy suggests that they sell a product that you can only make out in the country, like eggs from chickens. Ricky likes the idea, because it could bring a profit, they could eat fresh eggs every morning for breakfast, and, if the plan doesn't work, they can eat the chickens for dinner. Ricky puts up an ad asking for an experienced chicken farmer. To the Ricardos' surprise, good ol' Fred Mertz responds to the ad, having been raised on a farm in the Midwest, and Fred and Ethel wait outside the Ricardos' front door until they read Fred's letter! The Mertzes are so excited that they can finally live with the Ricardos again, and the plan is for the Mertzes to stay in the Ricardos' guest house for free, paying rent by taking care of the chickens. Of course, the Mertzes will still own their New York apartment building, but with Mrs. Trumbells sister moving in to manage it they'll only need to be there once a month to collect the rent. Lucy and Ethel are so excited to start raising chickens and selling eggs that they impulsively buy 500 baby chicks before the outdoor henhouse and brooder are ready. Fred chides them on how stupid and foolish this decision was. Now, they have to keep the chicks in the house and turn the thermostat up to 90 degrees to prevent the baby chicks from "freezing their fuzz off." The gang stores the chicks in the den, but Little Ricky accidentally opens the door and sets the chicks loose all over the house! Lucy pretends to be a mother chick to lure some of the missing chicks out from their hiding places. Trivia *The way that the chicks were prevented from walking off the Ricardos' living room set was via a line of chicken wire put up at the edge of the set. *You can hear the chicks peeping off-stage long before we're ever supposed to know they exist. *Eggs cost about 75 cents a dozen, so the Ricardos potentially could make good money from this business venture. *When Lucy is releasing the chicks from one of the boxes, a chick goes under the box. You can see the box is raised for the remainder of the scene. It moves around at the beginning, but then by the end of the scene, it's not moving. Don't know if it was crushed. *Sadly, one of the baby chicks was accidentally crushed by one of the cameras. :( *According to Ricky and Fred's agreement, Fred won't receive a salary for taking care of the chickens. Instead, he will receive free room and board, as well as a share of the egg profits. *Before the chicken plan makes the Mertzes move out to Connecticut, we learn that they have visited the Ricardos every weekend since the move. *We learn that the Ricardos' TV is now in the den of their new house. *When Lucy explains her bill paying system that is quite similar to her system in episode #5, you can clearly see her firmly push the one bill down on the middle of the Lazy Susan so it would be the only bill to not fly off. The prop men had put a lump of glue on the middle of the Lazy Susan for Lucy to stick to the back of the bill. *The Mertzes are having Mrs. Trumbull's sister move in and manage the apartment building while they're living in Connecticut. Why couldn't Mrs. Trumbull do it? After all, she managed the building during both the Hollywood and Europe trips! *The writers remembered Lucy once doing an impression of the chickens she and Desi had at their old Chatsworth ranch, so that's where the inspiration for Lucy's mama chick impression came from. When Ricky and Lucy are writing the ad for the paper and Ricky says "experienced chicken farmer" , Lucy mouths the words with him. Quotes *Lucy: We put the bills on the Lazy Susan, like this, see? Just like that. Now, we spin it around, and any bill that stays on gets paid. The lucky winner is the Connecticut Light and Power Company! *Ricky: Lucy, we can't pay our bills by spinnin' 'em around on a Lousy Susan! Lucy: It's a LAZY Susan! Ricky: Well, whatever it is. How do you suggest we pay all the unlucky losers? *Lucy: You know how this country air affects Ethel's appetite. Ricky: Well, maybe this weekend, you'd better tell Ethel to breath a little less! *Ricky: But $50 tree surgery?! I could have had my appendix taken out! *Lucy: Oh, just think, honey- maybe we're gonna get a picture of our home in House and Garden! Ricky: Yeah, great. That'll be another 'spense. Now, we'll have to buy 50 copies of the magazine! *Lucy: We could raise things. Ricky: You're right. The first thing we gotta raise is money to pay for these bills! *Ricky: Lucy, we only own two acres, you know. What you're talking about will take the entire state of I-o-a-way! *Lucy: Why corn instead of chickens? Ricky: Well, we'll sleep a lot better. Corn doesn't crow at 5 o'clock in the morning! *Lucy: What can a little grain and corn cost? 50 cents a sack- that's chicken feed! *Lucy: And who knows? Maybe later on we can train the chickens to lay the eggs right in the cartons! *Ethel: What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen me eat before? Fred: I haven't seen you do anything else! *Ricky: we can't afford to hire a hand. Lucy: We can't even afford to hire a finger! *Lucy: It's hard to believe Fred was ever on a farm. Ethel: It's hard to believe he was ever a little boy! *Ricky: I had a pencil around here. What happened to it? Fred: Maybe Ethel ate it. *Ricky: How do you spell "'sperienced"? Lucy: E-X-P-... Ricky: "E-X"?! You're kiddin'! *Ricky: (reading Fred's application letter) "Having been in show business for a long while, I feel especially qualified for this position, since, over the years, I've laid many an egg myself." *Ethel: Didn't you notice the stamp our letter? Lucy and Ricky: No. Lucy: (looks at "stamp") An Easter seal! Ethel: You don't think Fred would waste 3 cents! *Ethel: Fred was so excited he couldn't sleep. Fred: I can top that- Ethel was so excited she couldn't eat! *Ricky: Fred, do you really know everything about chickens? Fred: Well, for the past 25 years, I've been henpecked! *Ricky: (to Ethel) No, rent is out of the question. Fred: I'll say it is! *Ricky: After all these years, I'M gonna be Fred's landlord! Fred: Well, I hope you'll be a good one, Rick. Ricky: Well, I"ll try to be as good a landlord as you were. Ethel: Uh-oh! We're in trouble! *Lucy: Fred, you and Ethel are now the proud parents of 500 baby chicks. Ethel: Congratulations, you old rooster! Fred: Same to you, you old hen! *Fred: In this cold weather, chicks'll freeze their fuzz off! *Lucy: 90 degrees?! Fred: Yes, 90! Lucy: You wanna raise chickens, not roast 'em! *Ethel: That's the first time in his life Fred's ever said, "Turn up the heat!" You never did this for me! Fred: You're no chicken, Ethel! *Ethel: chicks are talkin' about Fred. Lucy: They're talkin' about Fred?! Ethel: Yeah, they're sayin', "Cheep, cheep, cheep!" *Ethel: Gee, I don't wanna be around when Ricky finds 500 chickens in the den. Fred: Well, I'll tell you one thing- he's gonna be plenty miserable when he starts to reading his newspaper chicks are eating on! *Lucy: What do you want to eat, Ethel? Ethel: Oh, just somethin' to nibble on. How 'bout a chicken leg? Lucy: Shh, Ethel! Oh, I hope that chicks didn't hear you! Ethel: Oh, I'm sorry, honey. Lucy: My gosh! Fred: Most chicken farmers only have foxes to worry about. We got Ethel, too! *Fred: We were kinda funny farmers. We kept our chickens in the hen house. *Ethel: Where would you go if you were 67 chicks? Lucy: Anywhere to get out of this 90-degree heat! *Ethel: Any suggestions? Lucy: Yeah, let's wait'll chicks grow up. They'll be easier to find. *Ricky: Well, I'd like to think I got into the wrong house, but I know I didn't! ﻿